1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display control device and a display control method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there have been an increasing number of cases in which a viewer views digitized pictures using a display control device including a display or the like at an electronic museum or a home. When a viewer views the pictures using the display control device, the sizes of the pictures vary depending on works. In many cases, the size of the picture does not match the size of the display. Thus, the display control device often displays picture data on the display in an enlarged or reduced size.
On the other hand, each picture has a viewing distance (optimum viewing distance) best suited according to the artist's intension. The optimum viewing distance is a unique viewing distance unique to the picture. The optimum viewing distance corresponding to each picture varies depending on works. If a viewer does not view a picture at the optimum viewing distance corresponding thereto, a viewer may not see what the artist intends. Thus, in order for a viewer to be able to view a picture on a display in the most preferred state where the artist's intention has been reproduced, it is contemplated that optimum viewing distance information is added to picture data in advance.
However, since an optimum viewing distance for viewing a picture on a display differs depending on works and the size of the display, the optimum viewing distance may not be uniquely determined depending on the size of the display. Also, since an optimum viewing distance may also vary each time the picture is switched, a viewer may not know how far the viewing distance is applied to each picture. In other words, when viewing a picture on a display, the reproduction of the same condition as that in which an actual picture is viewed from the optimum viewing distance is required.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-042353 discloses a visible image display device that changes the distance for limiting the viewing of a picture depending on the resolution of the screen size and the visible image. Also, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-085461 discloses a display control device that displays a visible image by scaling a visible image signal depending on the amount of change in resolution and the viewing distance when the resolution of the visible image has been switched. Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-103908 discloses an image display device that calculates an optimum viewing distance based on the size of a screen and calculates the size of an image having the same visual field as that obtained at a time of image capture when the image is displayed on the display device to thereby cut out the captured image based on the calculated image size and output it to the display device.
However, any one of the aforementioned technologies disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-042353, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-085461, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-103908 does not calculate a viewing distance in which the relationship between the size of a picture and the optimum viewing distance unique to the picture is equal to the relationship between the display size and the viewing distance. In addition, any one of the aforementioned technologies does not calculate a display size in which the relationship between the size of a picture and the optimum viewing distance thereto is equal to the relationship between the viewing distance and the display size. Thus, when a viewer views a picture displayed on a display device, the viewer cannot view the picture in a way equal to the case in which the actual picture is viewed from the optimum viewing distance unique to the picture using any one of the aforementioned technologies disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-042353, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-085461, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-103908.